Skinkers

Skinkers is the UK based software developer that provides communication management software to help organisations overcome the current limitations of existing digital channels. We tick all the boxes! [Microsoft](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/microsoft) and Skinkers signed a technology for equity deal in 2006, a first for Microsoft in Europe. Skinkers owns the intellectual property rights for the peer-to-peer technology developed by Microsoft Research. Microsoft has a minority equity stake in Skinkers. Skinkers and Microsoft won the UK Partnering for Innovation Award [this year](http://www.livestation.com/news/25-skinkers_and_microsoft_win_partnering_for_innovation_award). Livestation was released for beta testing in July to moderate [reviews](http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/06/first-look-at-livestation-not-much-to-report) and is expected to be released to the general public in the fall. While it is often compared to [Joost](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/joost), Livestation is different in that it streams live video, as opposed to offering video On-Demand. Livestation official channels include Al Jazeera, BBC World News, Bloomberg Television, EuroNews (English, French, Italian and now Spanish), France 24, i>Tele, Russia Today and BBC World Service. A feature allowing viewers to add their own channels has just been launched and has over 400 channels already. To watch Livestation, users must download a free video player, which is available for beta [testing](http://www.livestation.com/user/signup). With added [funding](http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/10/29/skinkers-raises-16-million-series-b/), Skinkers is looking to compete in an increasingly [cluttered](http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/13/live-p2p-television-streaming-now/) P2P IPTV space with competitors like [Zattoo](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/Zattoo), [Babelgum](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/babelgum), [Next.TV](http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/09/05/more-competition-for-iptv-hp-launching-nexttv/), as well as a number of Chinese based companies ([Sopcast](http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/13/live-p2p-television-streaming-now/), [PPLive](http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/13/live-p2p-television-streaming-now/), [PPMate](http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/13/live-p2p-television-streaming-now/)).

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